Day 120

Rain Sets In and Storm Deepens

Heavy rain drummed the tin roof at dawn. The barometer needle dropped steadily. Jenny moved seed trays closer to the wood stove while Kevin watched the pressure fall. "Radio check at noon. If the supply boat's still coming, they'll call it in," he said. Jenny replied, "Check the seals on the windows again. I don't want the humidity getting into the notebook." Kevin had checked the bedroom shutters too — bottom hinge on the port side working loose. Jenny moved the notebook to the kitchen table; Kevin reminded her to keep the pencil with it. "Graphite doesn't run if the paper gets damp." She left it right on top. Morning wind howled through eaves. The dock groaned under tide and surge. Kevin checked dinghy rigging and sail tension; Jenny surveyed northern cliffs for environmental changes. By midday Kevin struggled with heavy damp canvas at the dock while Jenny documented flora on cliffs as tide pools exposed. "Be careful with the footing! The algae on those planks is like ice when it's wet!" she called. "Got it. Three points of contact," he answered. Working the sail: "Watch the tension! It's pulling too hard!" "Ring's shifting. Shim's failing." "Use the spare rope! Don't let the line pull out!" "Toss it. Aim for the cleat." "Tighten it off! Don't let it take slack!" "Missed it. Working with what I've got." "There! Watch the ring! It's splintering out!"

At low tide they met at the dock replacing rotten planks. "Tide's peaking early. We should pull the dinghy clear and start on those planks before it gets dark." Jenny needed a minute for the notebook. "Got the stern. On three." "I've got the bow. One, two, three!" "She's clear. Grab the crowbar from the shed — we'll lever the bad planks at low water." Jenny started on a sodden plank; Kevin pulled nails. "Careful, the wood is crumbling like wet paper." "Hold it there." "It's coming loose. Just one more on this." Water rose. "The water's rising. We need to secure these two before the swell hits." "Hold it flush. I'll drive the coach screws." "Watch the edge. It's slipping under the current." "Got it. Two more screws each end." Jenny: "way. The water's already at my ankles." "Hold it. Driving screws." "Watch the edge. It's sliding." "Brace your knee against the stringer. I'll put a G-clamp on the far end." "It's holding. Check the tension." "Done. Grab the bag."

Evening: Kevin worked the sail; Jenny tried organi

Scenes

the keeper's cottage · dawn

The Rain Sets In

Heavy rain drums against the tin roof as the wind picks up from the west. Jenny moves the seed trays closer to the wood stove to keep them dry while Kevin watches the barometer needle continue to drop.

The rain intensifies, a heavy lashing drumming against the cottage roof as the western wind whips salt-scented spray across the island. The barometer continues its slow descent, signaling a worsening front before the supply boat even arrives.

🔧 Kevin06:06

Radio check at noon. If the supply boat's still coming, they'll call it in.

walk to the porch and lash the spruce spar to the rail with the new half-inch rope

💭 thought

Barometer's at 1006 and still falling. Wind's backing west — that's a proper blow coming. Need to secure the spar before it takes the porch with it.

🌿 Jenny06:07

Check the seals on the windows again. I don't want the humidity getting into the notebook.

Move the seed trays to the warmest spot by the stove and cover them with the plastic tarp.

💭 thought

The barometer is dropping too fast; a real storm is coming, and the seeds aren't ready for a soak.

🔧 Kevin06:08

Done. Checked the bedroom shutters too — bottom hinge on the port side's working loose.

walk inside and run a finger along each window seal, testing for give, then tighten the port bedroom shutter hinge with the screwdriver from the tool roll

💭 thought

She's right about the notebook. Salt air and damp paper don't mix. Window seals held last blow but the frames have moved since.

🌿 Jenny06:08

I'll move the notebook to the kitchen table, just in case.

Grab the notebook from the porch and place it on the dry center of the table.

💭 thought

If the windows fail, the spray will ruin the sketches I spent weeks on.

🔧 Kevin06:10

Keep the pencil with it. Graphite doesn't run if the paper gets damp.

turn back to the porch and finish the last two turns on the spar lashing, cinching the rolling hitch tight against the rail

💭 thought

Good. Notebook's the only record we've got. Losing the sea beet sketches and the Carex transect data would mean starting over.

🌿 Jenny06:10

I'll leave it right on top.

Place the pencil on the notebook cover and check the moisture in the seed trays again.

💭 thought

He's right about the pencil. Ink would be a disaster in this damp.

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the keeper's cottage · morning

The Storm Deepens

The wind howls through the eaves, and the sound of the dock begins to groan under the tide and the surge.

The air is heavy and the atmospheric pressure continues to drop, signaling an approaching storm. Kevin checks the dinghy's rigging and the tension on the damp canvas sail while Jenny surveys the cliffs for potential environmental changes.

🔧 Kevin06:12

Kevin — pull on oilskins and boots, grab the headlamp, and walk down to the dock to inspect the mooring ring, lines, and planking under load.

💭 thought

Dock's taking a beating. If the ring bolt pulls out or the planks let go, we lose the dinghy and the only way off. Need to check the lines and the mortise before the tide peaks.

🌿 Jenny06:12

Be careful with the footing! The algae on those planks is like ice when it's wet!

Walk to the porch and watch him go, clutching the doorframe.

💭 thought

He's going out in this? The surge is already hitting the planks. He'll slip and break something if he's not careful.

🔧 Kevin06:14

Got it. Three points of contact.

Move down the porch steps carefully, testing each plank before committing weight. Keep low, hands on the handrail rope. Reach the dock and crouch to examine the mooring ring mortise where it shifts, checking the cedar shim I drove in last w

💭 thought

She's right — the green slime on the seaward planks has sent me skating before. One bad fall on the dock edge and I'm useless to both of us.

🌿 Jenny06:14

Watch the tension! It's pulling too hard!

Lean over the railing, historying through the spray to see his headlamp bob against the dark water.

💭 thought

The shim is holding for now, but if that tide rises another inch the whole way will wrench the wood out.

🔧 Kevin06:16

Ring's shifting. Shim's failing.

Shine the headlamp beam on the mooring ring mortise. Grab the ring with both hands and heave to test the play — feel if it's the wood crushing or the bolt itself stretching. Check the stern line lead to the cleat for chafe.

💭 thought

She sees the bow lifting hard against the stern line. The ring's moving in its mortise again — cedar shim's compressed or working loose. If that ring pulls free, the dinghy goes broadside to the swell and smashes the dock planks.

🌿 Jenny06:17

Use the spare rope! Don't let the line pull out!

Reach back inside the kitchen to grab the coil of new three-strand rope, ready to toss it to him.

💭 thought

The wood is too soft. If that ring gives, the whole dinghy is lost to the surge.

🔧 Kevin06:18

Toss it. Aim for the cleat.

Brace against the dock plank, reach for the coil. Pay out a bight, round the landward cleat with a rolling hitch, take the standing part back to the dinghy's aft quarter cleat. Snug it up with a trucker's hitch so both lines share the load.

💭 thought

Good call. The stern line's holding but the ring's working loose in the mortise — if I back it up with a second line to the cleat on the landward side, takes the load off the ring bolt. New three-strand's dry and sound.

🌿 Jenny06:18

Tighten it off! Don't let it take slack!

Throw the end of the rope toward him, watching the coil catch it in the wind.

💭 thought

He's holding the weight, but the wood is groaning like a dying animal.

🔧 Kevin06:20

Missed it. Working with what I've got.

Drop to knees on the dinghy gunwale. Grab the standing part of the existing stern line where it leads to the ring. Heave slack through, jam a rolling hitch onto the standing part with the bitter end, cinch it tight to create a backup purcha

💭 thought

Rope's in the water — wind took it wide. No time to fish it out clean. The stern line's singing under load and the ring's still walking in its mortise. Need to secure the dinghy now with what's already on board.

🌿 Jenny06:20

There! Watch the ring! It's splintering out!

Step to the edge of the porch, gripping the railing as the wave slams under the cottage.

💭 thought

He's smart to bypass the shim, but the wood is still the weak link.

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the dock · midday

The First Squall

Kevin is at the dock while Jenny remains on the north cliffs.

Kevin spent the afternoon at the dock working on the dinghy sail, struggling with the heavy damp canvas. Jenny explored the northern cliffs to document local flora as the tide began to expose more tide pools below.

🌿 Jenny06:22

Jenny — pull the notebook tighter under my arm and crouch against the wind to shield the pages from the spray.

💭 thought

The pressure is dropping too fast; if that storm hits before the boat comes, the garden is a lost cause.

🔧 Kevin06:24

Kevin — walk the length of the jetty, inspecting each mooring line at the waterline and cleats, checking for chafe, UV rot, and salt crystallization

💭 thought

Tide's still pushing hard against the pilings. Lines took a beating last storm — chafe guard's gone on the bow line, and the stern line's splice is showing white fibers. If one parts now, the dinghy grinds itself to kindling against the jetty. Need to replace the chafe gear and re-serve the splice before the next front hits.

🌿 Jenny06:26

Jenny — wipe the salt from my eyes and begin the descent back toward the dock.

💭 thought

I need to get back to the cottage before the path gets too slick with mud.

🔧 Kevin06:28

Kevin — walk back to the cottage porch, retrieve the coil of new half-inch three-strand rope and the sail twine, then return to the dock to replace the bow line and re-serve the stern line splice

💭 thought

Bow line's the worst — sheath's worn through to the core in two spots where it rubs the rusted chock. Stern line's splice is sound but the serving's unraveling. Got the new half-inch three-strand coiled on the porch and sail twine for serving. Should re-do both lines proper while the tide's high enough to work the cleats without leaning over the edge.

🌿 Jenny06:30

Jenny — scan the horizon for the silhouette of the cottage roof through the grey haze.

💭 thought

Kevin will be worried if I don't show up before the light fails completely.

🔧 Kevin06:32

Kevin — coil the old bow line and stash it in the crate for potential salvage, wipe salt off hands, walk back toward the cottage

💭 thought

Bow line replaced — new three-strand through the chock, figure-eight on the cleat with a proper chafe guard made from the old garden hose split lengthwise. Stern line's re-served tight with sail twine, three full tucks. Both lines now have clean leads and no slack to snag. Dinghy rides easier already. Tide's turning now, water starting to suck back from the pilings. Good. One less thing to fail when the blow comes.

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the dock · afternoon

Tide turns

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the water begins to creep back in. The grey air remains heavy as the sun sets.

Kevin and Jenny spend the low tide at the dock replacing the remaining rotten planks. They use the crowbar to pry up the salt-weakened wood while the water begins to creep in.

🔧 Kevin06:34

Tide’s peaking early. We should pull the dinghy clear and start on those planks before it gets dark.

walk to the dinghy, untie the mooring line, and begin pulling it up the jetty onto the blocks to clear the work area.

💭 thought

The tide’s coming in faster than I thought. The dock’s still got those two rotten planks near the end—need to get them replaced before the water lifts them loose and takes the whole section. Jenny’s quiet, but she’s watching the water like she’s waiting for something to break.

🌿 Jenny06:34

Give me a minute, I need to get the notebook inside before the salt ruins the pages.

wipe the grit from the notebook cover and tuck it under my arm, then go help Kevin lift the stern of the dinghy.

💭 thought

The tide is always faster than my sketches, and my stomach is growling louder than the waves.

🔧 Kevin06:36

Got the stern. On three.

crouch at the transom, grip the chine, and lift on her count, walking the dinghy backward up the jetty until the keel rests on the timber blocks.

💭 thought

She’s right about the salt. That notebook’s the only record we’ve got of what’s growing where, and the pages are already warped. The dinghy’s heavier than it looks waterlogged—her end’s the bow, lighter. I’ll take the stern.

🌿 Jenny06:37

I've got the bow. One, two, three!

grab the front of the dinghy and heave my weight forward to help Kevin guide the boat onto the dry blocks.

💭 thought

My arms are shaking already; that wood is heavier than it looked this morning.

🔧 Kevin06:38

She’s clear. Grab the crowbar from the shed — we’ll lever the bad planks at low water.

walk to the tool shed, pull the crowbar from the wall hook, and carry it back to the jetty, setting it beside the first rotten plank.

💭 thought

The dinghy scrapes over the last plank and settles on the blocks with a dull thud. Keel’s dry. Good. Now the rotten planks won’t trap the hull when the tide pushes under the jetty. My palms sting from the salt-rusted gunwale.

🌿 Jenny06:38

I'll start with this one. It looks completely sodden through.

wipe the sweat from my eyes and wedge the crowbar under the edge of the plank, prying the rotting wood away from the frame.

💭 thought

If I don't get these planks fixed, the whole way will collapse into the surf during the next storm.

🔧 Kevin06:40

Good. Second one next. I’ll pull the nails once they’re free.

crouch beside her with the claw hammer, ready to extract the old nails as the planks come up, and keep an eye on the water rising between the piles.

💭 thought

The plank gives with a wet sigh — black mush inside, nails crumbling to red dust. She’s got the leverage right, driving the bar low. The second plank next to it’s just as far gone. Tide’s lapping the piles now; we’ve got maybe twenty minutes before the water’s too high to work.

🌿 Jenny06:40

Careful, the wood is crumbling like wet paper.

lean into the crowbar, using my body weight to lift the second plank just enough to see the nails.

💭 thought

The nails are probably rusted through; the wood will likely snap before the metal gives out.

🔧 Kevin06:42

Hold it there.

drive the claw under the first nail head, rock it loose with a sharp pull, and toss the rusted spike into the tide; repeat for the second and third, working fast while she keeps the plank pried clear.

💭 thought

The second plank snaps halfway out — rot eaten clean through to the heart. Nails hang loose in the joist, half-pulled by the wood’s own surrender. Tide’s whispering through the piles now, foam licking the cross-braces. Ten minutes, tops.

🌿 Jenny06:42

It's coming loose. Just one more on this.

keep the pressure steady on the crowbar, holding the plank lifted so Kevin can reach the last nail.

💭 thought

If I can just get these off, I can be back in the kitchen with some food.

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the dock · evening

The Rising Tide

You both meet as the water laps against the edge of the dock. The new planks are ready, waiting to be set.

Kevin spent the evening at the dock working on the damp dinghy sail while the heavy air pressed down. Jenny attempted to organize the heirloom seed trays but struggled with the humidity making the delicate soil difficult to handle.

🌿 Jenny06:44

The water's rising. We need to secure these two before the swell hits.

Lift a heavy plank and hold it across the gap.

💭 thought

The tide is coming in faster than I predicted; if we don't get these down now, we'll be working in waist water.

🔧 Kevin06:44

Hold it flush. I'll drive the coach screws.

grab the impact driver and 12mm coach screws from the tool bag, kneel on the stringer, and sink four screws through the new plank into each stringer — two per end — while Jenny holds it tight

💭 thought

Good. She's got the weight. Just need the bolts through before the tide lifts it off the stringers.

🌿 Jenny06:47

Watch the edge. It's slipping under the current.

Lean my weight onto the wood to keep it level while he drives.

💭 thought

My hands are shaking from the hunger, but I have to hold this steady or the whole thing will be way.

🔧 Kevin06:47

Got it. Two more screws each end.

drive the remaining four coach screws home, checking the plank sits flush to the stringers with each one, then stand and grab the second plank

💭 thought

Current's pushing it sideways. She's strong but the water's stronger. Need this fast.

🌿 Jenny06:48

way. The water's already at my ankles.

Reach for the second plank and align it with the first one.

💭 thought

If I don't get this one down now, the surge will rip it right off before we finish.

🔧 Kevin06:48

Hold it. Driving screws.

sink four coach screws through the second plank into the stringers, two per end, then stand back and wipe salt-sweat from my eyes

💭 thought

Tide's not waiting. Second plank goes in same way — fast.

🌿 Jenny06:50

Watch the edge. It's sliding.

Lean my weight onto the wood to keep it level while he drives.

💭 thought

The tide is coming up fast. If we don't lock these down now, the next surge will take the whole section.

🔧 Kevin06:50

Brace your knee against the stringer. I'll put a G-clamp on the far end.

grab a G-clamp from the tool bag, fasten it over the plank edge to the stringer on the far side, then drive the last two screws home on the near side

💭 thought

She's fighting the current alone. Plank's moving. Need to clamp it or it'll twist off line.

🌿 Jenny06:52

It's holding. Check the tension.

Press down on the plank to Ensure it's flush while the screws set.

💭 thought

If I can just get these finished, I might be able to reach the southern flats at dawn before the tide turns.

🔧 Kevin06:52

Done. Grab the bag.

sweep the impact driver, screws, and clamp back into the tool bag, sling it over my shoulder, and walk back toward the cottage with the tide lapping at the jetty piles

💭 thought

Planks are down. Screws bitten. Dock'll hold the boat now. Need to clear tools before the water takes them.

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the keeper's cottage · night

The Storm Breaks

You two meet inside the cottage as the first drops of rain hit the tin roof. The barometer continues to drop.

The air is heavy and humid, the flat sky darkening as the wet season clouds thicken over the island. Inside the cottage, the smell of drying sea beet and woodsmoke lingers in the air while the barometer continues its slow descent to 1006 hPa, signaling an imminent shift in the weather.

🔧 Kevin06:54

Dropping fast. Two millibars since noon.

set the wrench down on the table and pull out a chair

💭 thought

She's watching the barometer too. Good. Means I don't have to say it.

🌿 Jenny06:55

The pressure is at 1006. It's coming in.

wipe damp soil from my fingernails onto a rag and look at the seed trays.

💭 thought

It's going to break before the boat even gets here. The humidity is eating the seeds alive.

🔧 Kevin06:56

Tide's high already. If the swell builds on top of this pressure, the dock takes a beating.

pull the radio log toward me and flip to a fresh page

💭 thought

She's calm. Steadier than me. The trays inside was the right call.

🌿 Jenny06:57

I'll check the tension on the lines after I

💭 thought

If the dock goes, I'm stranded with half supplies. I need to check the moor.

🔧 Kevin06:58

Kevin — tap the barometer glass with a fingertip, watching the needle

💭 thought

Let her finish. She knows what needs doing.

🌿 Jenny06:58

I'll check the moorings before the tide turns.

stand up and grab the heavy flashlight from the kitchen.

💭 thought

He's right. The salt is already eating through the wood if I'm not.

🔧 Kevin07:00

Take the new rope coil. Bowline's showing chafe too.

reach for the half-inch coil by the door and hold it out

💭 thought

She's already moving. Good. The stern line held last blow but the chafe guard's worn.

🌿 Jenny07:00

I'll double-wrap the cleats.

take the rope and step out onto the porch into the rain.

💭 thought

If that bowline snaps, the dinghy is lost to the surf. I need to be fast.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

Dinghy sail completion: 40%.

project · dawn

The falling pressure indicates the storm is moving faster than anticipated.

discovery · dawn

Dinghy sail completion: 50%.

project · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Dinghy sail completion: 60%.

project · midday

Specific succulents thrive in high-salt spray cliff crevices

discovery · midday

Jenny's building is now 4/10.

level_up · afternoon

Dinghy sail completion: 70%.

project · afternoon

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

A tangle of driftwood and flotsam has washed up on the beach.

driftwood · night

Dinghy sail completion: 80%.

project · night

Detailed salt gland illustrations of sea beet are complete in the notebook.

discovery · night

← Day 119 Day 121 →

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.